Alexey Miller's column

“Austria is a major consumer of Russian gas and a strategic partner in the gas sector.

Our gas exports to this country have been steadily growing. Since 2014, they have more than tripled, reaching 12.3 billion cubic meters in 2018. The trend is still upward. According to current data, our gas supplies increased by 21.5 per cent in the four and a half months of this year. In the first half of May, they added 34.9 per cent.

Together with Austria's OMV, Gazprom is building a new reliable export gas pipeline to Europe – Nord Stream 2. The project is proceeding on schedule. We have reached an important milestone: as much as 50.6 per cent of the total length of the gas pipeline – 1,241 kilometers – has been laid in the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream 2 has crossed the halfway point.”

“Our Festival has been going strong for 15 years. Over that time, it has blossomed into a major cultural project with an international reach. The Festival presents a formidable creative challenge for everyone who goes on stage. It also gives audiences a wonderful opportunity to learn about the cultural traditions of many Russian regions and other countries. It is heartening to watch such vastly different yet uniformly talented artists.”